scholarly journals NGC 6712: the variable star population of a tidally disrupted globular cluster

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (2) ◽  
pp. 1996-2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Deras ◽  
A Arellano Ferro ◽  
C Lázaro ◽  
I H Bustos Fierro ◽  
J H Calderón ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present an analysis of ${VI}$ CCD time-series photometry of globular cluster NGC 6712. Our main goal is to study the variable star population as indicators of the cluster mean physical parameters. We employed the Fourier decomposition of RR Lyrae light curves to confirm that ${}[\rm Fe/H]_{UVES} = -1.0 \pm 0.05$ is a solid estimate. We estimated the reddening to the cluster as E(B − V) = 0.35 ± 0.04 from the RRab stars colour curves. The distance to the cluster was estimated using three independent methods which yielded a weighted mean distance <d > = 8.1 ± 0.2 kpc. The distribution of RRab and RRc stars on the horizontal branch shows a clear segregation around the first overtone red edge of the instability strip, which seems to be a common feature in OoI-type cluster with a very red horizontal branch. We carried out a membership analysis of 60 447 stars in our field of view (FoV) using the data from Gaia-DR2 and found 1529 likely members; we possess the light curves of 1100 among the member stars. This allowed us to produce a clean colour–magnitude diagram, consistent with an age of 12 Gyr, and enabled us to discover close unresolved contaminants for several variable stars. From the proper motion analysis, we found evidence of non-member stars in the FoV of the cluster being tidally affected by the gravitational pull of the bulge of the Galaxy. We found that the RRab variable V6, shows a previously undetected Blazhko effect. Finally, we report 16 new variables of the EW-type (9) and SR-type (7).

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (3) ◽  
pp. 3212-3226 ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Yepez ◽  
A Arellano Ferro ◽  
D Deras

ABSTRACT We present an analysis of VI CCD time-series photometry of the Oo II type globular cluster M92. The variable star population of the cluster is studied with the aim of revising their classifications, identifications, frequency spectra, and to select indicators of the parental cluster metallicity and distance. The Fourier decomposition of RR Lyrae light curves lead to the estimation of mean [Fe/H]spec = −2.20 ± 0.18 and distance of 8.3 ± 0.2 kpc. Four new variables are reported: one RRd (V40), a multimode SX Phe (V41), an SR (V42), and one RRc (F1) that is most likely not a cluster member. The AC nature of V7 is confirmed. The double mode nature of the RRc star V11 is not confirmed and its amplitude modulations are most likely due to the Blazhko effect. Two modes are found in the known RRc variable V13. It is argued that the variable V30, previously classified as RRab is, in fact, a BL Her-type star not belonging to the cluster. Using the Gaia-DR2 proper motions, we identified 5012 stars in the field of the cluster, which are very likely cluster members, and for which we possess photometry, enabling the production of a refined colour–magnitude diagram. This also allowed us to identify a few variable stars that do not belong to the cluster. The RR Lyrae pulsation modes on the HB are cleanly separated by the first overtone red edge, a common feature in all Oo II-type clusters.


1993 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 421-421
Author(s):  
Michael Corwin ◽  
Bruce Carney

AbstractWe present BV CCD photometry of the variable star V9 in the globular cluster 47 Tuc. V, B, and (B – V) light curves are given. A colour-magnitude diagram based on four V and four B frames is given. V9's location on the diagram is considerably brighter and bluer than the edge of the red horizontal branch. Its radial velocity indicates that V9 is a member of the cluster.


1966 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 93-97
Author(s):  
Richard Woolley

It is now possible to determine proper motions of high-velocity objects in such a way as to obtain with some accuracy the velocity vector relevant to the Sun. If a potential field of the Galaxy is assumed, one can compute an actual orbit. A determination of the velocity of the globular clusterωCentauri has recently been completed at Greenwich, and it is found that the orbit is strongly retrograde in the Galaxy. Similar calculations may be made, though with less certainty, in the case of RR Lyrae variable stars.


2018 ◽  
Vol 617 ◽  
pp. A32 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Burggraaff ◽  
G. J. J. Talens ◽  
J. Spronck ◽  
A.-L. Lesage ◽  
R. Stuik ◽  
...  

Context. The Multi-site All-Sky CAmeRA (MASCARA) aims to find the brightest transiting planet systems by monitoring the full sky at magnitudes 4 < V < 8.4, taking data every 6.4 s. The northern station has been operational on La Palma since February 2015. These data can also be used for other scientific purposes, such as the study of variable stars. Aims. In this paper we aim to assess the value of MASCARA data for studying variable stars by determining to what extent known variable stars can be recovered and characterised, and how well new, unknown variables can be discovered. Methods. We used the first 14 months of MASCARA data, consisting of the light curves of 53 401 stars with up to one million flux points per object. All stars were cross-matched with the VSX catalogue to identify known variables. The MASCARA light curves were searched for periodic flux variability using generalised Lomb–Scargle periodograms. If significant variability of a known variable was detected, the found period and amplitude were compared with those listed in the VSX database. If no previous record of variability was found, the data were phase folded to attempt a classification. Results. Of the 1919 known variable stars in the MASCARA sample with periods 0.1 < P < 10 days, amplitudes >2%, and that have more than 80 h of data, 93.5% are recovered. In addition, the periods of 210 stars without a previous VSX record were determined, and 282 candidate variable stars were newly identified. We also investigated whether second order variability effects could be identified. The O’Connell effect is seen in seven eclipsing binaries, of which two have no previous record of this effect. Conclusions. MASCARA data are very well suited to study known variable stars. They also serve as a powerful means to find new variables among the brightest stars in the sky. Follow-up is required to ensure that the observed variability does not originate from faint background objects.


1998 ◽  
Vol 185 ◽  
pp. 347-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dietrich Baade

Improved observing and data analysis strategies have initiated a considerable expansion of the empirical knowledge about the pulsations of OB stars. Possible correlations between physical parameters and associated pulsation characteristics are becoming more clearly perceivable. This starts to include the asteroseismologically fundamental areas of g-modes and rapid rotation. The β Cephei instability strip continues to be the only locus where radial pulsations occur (but apparently not in all stars located in that strip). Except for spectral types B8/B9 near the main sequence, where pulsations are hardly detected even at low amplitudes, any major group of stars in the Galaxy that are obviously not candidate pulsators still remains to be identified. However, the incidence and amplitudes of OB star pulsations decrease steeply with metallicity. The behaviour of high-luminosity stars is less often dominated by very few modes. In broad-lined stars the moving-bump phenomenon is more common than low-order line-profile variability. But its relation to nonradial pulsation is not clear. The beating of low-ℓ nonradial pulsation modes that have identical angular mode indices may be the clockwork of the outbursts of at least some Be stars. The physics of this episodic mass loss process remains to be identified.


2019 ◽  
Vol 623 ◽  
pp. L12 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Latour ◽  
E. M. Green ◽  
G. Fontaine

We present the discovery of long-period, low-amplitude, g-mode pulsations in the intermediate He-rich hot subdwarf (sdOB) star Feige 46. So far, only one other He-enriched sdOB star (LS IV−14 ° 116) was known to exhibit such pulsations. From our ground-based light curves of Feige 46, we extracted five independent periodicities ranging from 2294 s to 3400 s. We fit our optical spectrum of the star with our grid of non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) model atmospheres and derived the following atmospheric parameters: Teff = 36120 ± 230 K, log g = 5.93 ± 0.04, and log N(He)/N(H) = −0.32 ± 0.03 (formal fitting errors only). These parameters are very similar to those of LS IV−14 ° 116 and place Feige 46 well outside of the instability strip where the hydrogen-rich g-mode sdB pulsators are found. We used the Gaia parallax and proper motion of Feige 46 to perform a kinematic analysis of this star and found that it likely belongs to the Galactic halo population. This is most certainly an intriguing and interesting result given that LS IV−14 ° 116 is also a halo object. The mechanism responsible for the pulsations in these two peculiar objects remains unclear, but a possible scenario involves the ϵ-mechanism. Although they are the only two members in their class of variable stars, these pulsators appear to have more in common than just their pulsation properties.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (S339) ◽  
pp. 66-66
Author(s):  
F. Förster

AbstractSupernovae (SNe) are cosmic explosions which are usually represented in a small region of the luminosity–time-scale diagram when discussing the variable sky. However, there are different time-scales involved in the evolution of SNe that are not reflected by that representation. This talk reviewed some of the physical mechanisms driving the SN light-curve diversity, especially at early times. It then discussed our efforts in the astroinformatics laboratory at CMM and at MAS to discover very young SNe using large etendue telescopes such as Blanco/DECam; those efforts led to the real-time discovery of more than one hundred SNe, some of them very young, under the High cadence Transient Survey (HiTS). We showed that, by comparing hydrodynamical models in the literature with HiTS SNe using Markov Chain Monte Carlo to sample from the posterior in a Bayesian approach, we can constrain the physical parameters that are driving the early time-evolution of these events. We also discussed how these data are being used for different projects, such as the discovery of asteroids and variable stars, and for testing different machine-learning algorithms in an interdisciplinary approach.


1973 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 113-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. V. Norris

NGC 1466 (α1950 = 3h44.m6, δ1950= -71°45’) is a globular cluster which appears to be situated between the two Magellanic Clouds. Previous estimates (Gascoigne, 1966) put it at roughly the same distance from us as the LMC, so it is regarded as a member of the Cloud system. It is globular in appearance, and its colour-magnitude diagram confirms this classification. It has a fairly well-developed horizontal branch, and was found by Wesselink (1970) to be quite rich in variables. The metallicity index, Q, (van den Bergh, 1967) has a value of -0.36 for NGC 1466 (Andrews and Lloyd Evans, 1971). This would rank it with M5 and NGC 6171 as a cluster of intermediate metal content. This comparison is consistent with the value of Δ V for the cluster, which, at 2.m6, is representative of the Δ V values of globular clusters of intermediate metal abundance in the Galaxy.


1984 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 223-224
Author(s):  
Horace A. Smith ◽  
Leo Connolly

The Small Magellanic Cloud is known to contain types of short period Cepheid variable stars not yet discovered in either the Large Magellanic Cloud or, with the exception of a single star, in the Galaxy. These variables can be divided into two categories: anomalous Cepheids and Wesselink-Shuttleworth (WS) stars. The former, which have also been found in dwarf spheroidal systems and in the globular cluster NGC 5466, have periods of 0.4–3 days, but average 0.7–1.0 mag. brighter than RR Lyrae and BL Her stars of equal period. The stars we call WS stars have periods less than about 1.1 day and, at MV = −1 to −2, are brighter than anomalous Cepheids of equal period.


2020 ◽  
Vol 635 ◽  
pp. A66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Prudil ◽  
I. Dékány ◽  
R. Smolec ◽  
M. Catelan ◽  
E. K. Grebel ◽  
...  

We present the most extended and homogeneous study carried out so far of the main and early shocks in 1485 RR Lyrae stars in the Galactic bulge observed by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment. We selected nonmodulated fundamental-mode RR Lyrae stars with good-quality photometry. Using a self-developed method, we determined the centers and strengths of main and early shock features in the phased light curves. We found that the positions of both humps and bumps are highly correlated with the pulsation properties of the studied variables. Pulsators with a pronounced main shock are concentrated in the low-amplitude regime of the period–amplitude diagram, while stars with a strong early shock have average and above-average pulsation amplitudes. A connection between the main and early shocks and the Fourier coefficients is also observed. In the color–magnitude diagram, we see a separation between stars with strong and weak shocks. Variables with a pronounced main shock cluster close to the fundamental red edge of the instability strip (IS), while stars with a strong early shock tend to clump in the center and near the fundamental blue edge of the IS. The appearance of shocks and their properties appear to be independent of the direction of evolution estimated from the period change rate of the studied stars. In addition, the differences in the period change rate between the two main Oosterhoff groups found in the Galactic bulge suggest that stars of Oosterhoff type I are located close to the zero-age horizontal branch while Oosterhoff type II variables are on their way toward the fundamental red edge of the instability strip, and have therefore already left the zero-age horizontal branch.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document